Workshop: Sovereignty

Where is the boundary between city optimalisation and control over people?

By 2035, a European framework explicitly distinguishes between AI that optimises the city and AI that tracks or influences individuals. Every urban AI application is publicly auditable on this distinction. Residents have insight into which systems affect them and can raise objections.

Questions per time step

• 2035: What is in place and working? Who holds the reins?
• 2031: What agreements, standards or structures are already operational?
• 2027: What has been started, tested or decided?
• Before end of 2026: What must begin now - and who takes the initiative

Contribution to the declaration

What democratic safeguards must be embedded in every European AI layer?

What do we work on in this workshop?

• A European definition of the boundary between city optimalisation and individual control.
• Mandatory public registers of urban AI systems - transparent and accessible to residents.
• A right to explanation for citizens when automated decisions directly affect them.

Timetable
13:00 Introduction
The facilitator introduces the workshop theme and core question. Participants introduce themselves briefly: name, city, and one sentence on why this topic is urgent for them. The four scenarios for 2036 are presented as a shared starting point.
13:30 Gathering input
Opportunity for participants to give presentations on the theme.
14:00 Establishing the final image
What is the desired end vision for 2036 on this theme? The group establishes this collectively - ambitious and concrete. This is the destination from which we backcast. The facilitator ensures a shared image is reached before moving on.
14:30 Break
14:45 Translating into a film
Based on the desired end vision from the previous step, we write a screenplay for a film about our own future. This can be dystopian like Black Mirror, or optimistic like Her. As long as it takes place in 2036. And then we actually make that film, using generative AI tooling. Together, the screenplays provide a picture of the city ten years from now.
15:15 Backcasting
Working back from 2036 to today. What needs to be in place by 2031? By 2027? What must therefore begin before the end of 2026? For each time step: who does what, and what is blocking it? The facilitator maintains three time horizons: 2036, 2031, 2027.
15:30 Position determination
What is the collective position of this group? Three concrete recommendations arising from the backcasting - addressed to the EU, national governments or cities themselves.
16:00 Editing
With the support of Dembrane we write up the contribution: end vision, timeline and three recommendations. Maximum one A4. This text is brought to the plenary session at 17.00.
16:30 Wrap-up
We share the results with each other.